Mechanism foe watches



(No Model.) 2'Sheets- Sheet I.

(3. HAHLWEG.

REPEATING MECHANISM FOR WATUHES.

No. 593,274. Patented Nov. 9,1897.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

C. HAHLWEG. REPEATING MECHANISM FOR WATCHES. No. 593,274 Patented Nov. 9, 1897.

" ll/btness es J71 per; 2507" UNiTnio STnTns CARL HAHLVVEG, 0F STETTIN, GERMANY.

REPEATENG: ltl EGHA N i S ltd F6 R \NATCH ES.

SPECIFIGATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,274, dated November 9, 1897.

Application filed August 4, 1896. Serial No. 601,581. (llo model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL HAHLWEG,watcl1- maker, a citizen of the Kingdom of Prussia, and a resident of Stettin, in the Kingdom of Prussia and German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Repeaters for Watches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to repeating mechanism, especially adapted for watches, to sound the hours and quarter-hours whenever it is desired to know the time without being able to see the hands upon the dial. lleretofore the constructions employed have been so complicated and made to consist of so many delicately-constructed Operating parts that they have been very expensive to make and hard to keep in perfect running order.

My invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts insuring accuracy, simplicity, and effectiveness of construction, as will be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the repeating mechanism in the normal or unwound position; Fig. 2, a plan view thereof when in the second position when wound up and the winding-lever is in position ready to be released to strike the hour and quarter-hour. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the hammer. Fig. i is a detail view of the quarter-striking racklever. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the hourstriking i'aclnlever. Fig. 6 is a detail of a latch-lever adapted to be supported upon the hour-striking rack-lever; Fig. 7, an enlarged detail of part of the striking-regulator mechanism and a part of the hourrack; Fig. 8, a plan view of the regulator for the striking mechanism; Fig. 9, a section on line a: m of Fig. 8; Figs. 10 and 11, a detail in two posi tions of the adj ustable disks of the fly-brake mechanism; Fig. 12, a plan, and Fig. 13 a side elevation, of the leaves of the fly-brake; and Fig. 1a a plan of the said brake-regulator when the leaves are free and movable.

The wheelwork z z 52, provided with a striking-regulator hereinafter to be described, is supported below the plate q, and the master-wheel z carries the pinion 2, whose teeth gear with those of the hour-rack s. The hourrack lever s is bowed in the arc of a circle and has twenty teeth thereon and is centered upon a hub 5 pivotally fixed upon a pin 0 on the watch-plate, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and also having a lever-arm 8 which projects through a slot in the watchcase and is used to wind up the striking mechanism when it is required for use. A strong spring 19, fixed in 13 presses with its end 1) against a projection 8 of the rack-lever 3 whereby the re peatin g-work is driven, and said spring 13 has near its end a horizontal slit extending from p to 13 through which the lever 3 passes. The rack s, after having been wound up by pushing to one side the lever-arm s in its recoil caused by the spring p, engages the lifting pieces c e and actuates the hammer and also actuates the wheelwork a 2 2 which is governed in its speed and prevented from running down by means of a centrifugal brake or regulating mechanism hereinafter to be described, and whereby the intervals between the single strokes are properly extended and equalized.

Upon the elbow and pivotal part of the rack s is placed a fiat double-armed lever Z), provided with two circular holes Z) W and the screw-holes 11 Fig. 6, the hole 1) receiving a screw 0, fitted into the rack-lever s to fulcrum the lever 1) upon said rack-lever, and the hole 6 adapted to receive a headed screw 0, fixed in the rackdever s, which screw prevents said lever 17 from leaving the rack s by means of its head surmounting the lever. The screw 0 has a certain amount of play in the hole 19 of the lever h, Fig. 6, so that the said lever Z) is enabled to make a slight or oscillating movement upon the fulcrum b with reference to the rack s and screw 0, as indicated in Fig. 5 by dotted and full lines, respectively.

A check-lever d is pivotally fixed on the lever Z) by a screw d in the screw-hole Z1 (shown in Fig. 6) and is provided at its forward end with a hook d and with a spring portion (Z to press upon a pin a, fixed to the rack-lever s at the rear, and the middle of the forward end d of the lever abuts on the screw 0, thus limiting its movement. The check-lever (1 therefore partakes of the slight motion of the lever 11 by means of its pivot of rotation (1 being aifixed theretdand'the spring end (1 thereof acts upon the lever 19 in such a Way as to cause the hook d of the check-lever (Z to be pressed in the direction of the quarter-rack t and the arm I) of the lever 12 in the same direction toward the stepwheel or jumping cam 7b. In this position the check-lever d .l10lt s the quarter-rack r in check, as shown in Fig. 1.

The quarteraack 1; turns on a pin 0 and lies free upon the rack s at the same height as the cheek-lever d. It possesses three pairs of teeth '0 and three noses t" o 4: which, like the teeth of the hour-rack s, can lift the lifting-piece c e, and thereby the hammer a, to strike the first, second, or third of the quarter-hours. In the position of rest, Fig. 1, in which the quarter-rack t is held in check by the lever (Z, the nose r of the rack as cends gently and commences to turn up to make contact with and lie close to the liftingpiece 6 6, so that the teeth 6 is moved by it out of reach of the teeth of both the hour and the quarter racks and so remains until the repeating mechanism is fully wound up and the hook d" of the check-lever is released, thus allowing the lifting-pieces e 6 free play and to be acted upon by its spring a. The hammer a is pivotally journaled with its pins a a passing through the curved opening it) of the frame-plate and projecting beyond said plate, while the pin a does not extend over said plate, so that the movement of the hammer-spring 1, provided for the engagement of the hammer a, may not be interfered with. The counter-spring lever 7e aetuates the hammer a by pressing upon the pin 0. and insures a clear, pure tone by forcing back the hammer out of contact with the gong after each stroke.

The lifting-piece e 6 turns on the frame-plate on a pin e and is actuated by the teeth ot both racks,which engage with the tooth-like-shaped end 6, and the free arm 6 aet-ua-tes the hammer a by catching the pin a, projecting from the frame-plate. The tooth e is of such thickness that it can gear with the teeth. of both racks s and r. The arm 0', however, is thinner than said tooth 6, so that the spring 0 prevents the lifting-piece from being lifted oil from pin 6 In the meantime this spring attempts to push the lifting-piece from the position of rest, Fig. 1, to that shown in Fig. 2, so that the catching of tooth einto the teeth of both racks is secured. The construction and arrangement of the hour and of the quarter stepwheels is the usual one, except that the hour step plate or wheel is fixed upon a solid pin 7b. The lover 8 must be wound up or pushed back against its spring until the lever Z)" abuts against the step-wheel 7L, Fig. 2, and until the lover I) will be arrested and will keep this position during the further and complete movement of rack s. \Vhile the pin (Z, secured to to the lever Z) in the hole b turns with said lever and with the hour-rack lever 8 the pin or screw head 0, attached to the racks, pushes back the check-lever (1 until its pawl (1 lots free the quarter-rack c, kept by its nose By the impulse of spring f the quarter-rack sprin forward until its arm 0 strikes upon the step-wheel m, as shown in Fig. 2, and. the said quarter-arm is ready to strike the second quarter or half hour. In executing this movement the teeth U of the rptarter-raek pass under the lever 6, now set free, while the somewhat stronger springf will overcome the effect of the weak spring e. If the hook rt has set free the quarter-rack r or its nose 2' respectively, and the lever s is let tree, the striking mechanism will work; but it this lever is set free before the quarter-rark has been releasedthat is to say, before the quarter-rack has been fully wound up-tho striking cannot take place, as the curved arm '0" of the quarter-rack has brought the teeth 6 out of gear with the teeth of the hour-rack. (See Fig. 1.) lly means of the eseapement mechanism herein shown and described the repeating-works will act exactly or totally .l'ail to act. In my invention. the full hours are distinguished by single strokes and the quarters by double strokes .t'ollowing speedily one upon the other.

The driving-gear ot' the strike-regulating mechanism is shown upon an enlarged scale in Fig. '7, Sheet 1, and the regulating mechanism is shown upon a still larger srale in the several figures of Sheet 2 of the drawings.

When the works are' wound up by actuat ing the lever .9 the hour-rack gears with the pinion Z, and in running down it engages the latter with the ratchet wheel [fastened thereon, and by the pawl T, fixed upon the wheel .2, thelatter actuates the pinion gearwheel 2 pinion A, and regulating mechanism shown by the tigures on Sheet 2 ol' the drawings, which is located over the timemovcment-that is to say, on the opposite side of the plan view shown in l ig. '7 and the axis of said mechanism may be held by a bridge secured to the plate. In these iigures two small disks A and 13, similar to one another, eaeh have two segments connected by diametrie cross-pieces and resemble two mutilated disks having oppositely-iiisposed rectangular recesses. The lower disk A is solidly conneeted with the pinion A and is engaged by the repeatingwork, as above do scribed. The disk A is provided with two opposite slits A directed from the periphery to the interior. The upper disk 13 is put loosely upon the arbor and is provided with slits B, which cross the slits A of disk A. \Vhere the disks cover one another the slits A and 13 form in their projection a square hole I), which moves inwardly or outwardly,

according to the changing positions ot' the disks as they move upon each other, Fig. lit) showing the extreme outer, and Fig. 11 the extreme inner, position of the hole I) or crossing-point of the two slits. The adjustment IlO have With relation to the disk A to bring the cross-hole D nearer to or farther from the periphery of the disk. The cross-hole D provides a bearing for the pivot-pin F connecting the flies F of the brake F, formed by segment-plates fastened to a center block, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13. The ends or flies F form fork projections which extend over the disks A and B and project beyond them and are thrown out eccentrically to said disks to a greater or less degree, governed by the position of the pin F in the cross-slots, by the revolution of the whole regulating mechanism in the direction of the arrow. If only the lower disk A should be provided, as shown in Fig. 14, the pin F will be pushed outwardly by the oblique position of the slit A and the part of the fly-brake F near by the pin would be pressed against the brake-ring, as shown in Fig. 14, so that the part of the fiy-brake endeavoring to move outwardly from its center by the effect of centrifugal force will work as a very long lever and will therefore produce a very strong brake. Moreover, if the disk B is placed upon disk A in such a position that the pins F will sit toward the center and arevolution takes place a minimum breaking power Will be effected. Between these two extremes a great latitude of adjustment of the brake-power may be effected, and this may be accurately adjusted by means of the eccentric head upon the regulating-screw E.

The regulation of the speed of the hammer or of the repeating mechanism is by this means not dependent upon delicate springs, as heretofore, which must be nicely adjusted for the connection of defects, while a positive and exact adjustment of the brake may be effected by a set-screw and by simple and effective means, which will insure perfect and constant regulation of the speed.

By means of my improved striking mechanism the number of parts is reduced to the least number practicable, and both the fullhour and the quarter-hour strokes are struck distinctly upon a single annular soundingring by a single hammer.

The hammer is lifted sufficiently to effect an energetic stroke, and the sound of each hour and quarter-hour is made clear and distinct, and each quarter-hour by my improved construction of quarter-hour sector-teeth, arranged in pairs, clearly distinguish the strokes of the quartenhour from the strokes of the hour-signal.

The centrifugal regulator herein described differs materially from any devices heretofore employed, as the plates which control the fly-brake are placed one upon the other and work noiselessly without the employment of springs, thus securing a simple, strong, and compact construction and arrangement of parts.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a repeater for watches, the combination of the hammer mechanism, the hour rack and lever, a double-armed lever pivoted thereto to have a limited oscillating movement thereon, an hour-ca1n to engage said lever, a check-lever pivoted to said doublearmed lever and a quarter-hour check-lever to be engaged by the said check-lever, substantially as described.

2. A repeater for watches comprising a hammer and hammer-actuating lever, a step- Wheel h, an hour rack and lever, a step-wheel m, a quarter-hour rack and lever having a curved arm 0 projecting from the heel end of the said rack, a nose 0 and an arm 1) branching from the short end of said lever, and a check-lever d, substantially as described.

3. In a repeating-watch regulator for the speed of the striking mechanism, comprising two oppositely-disposed plates, pivoted together and having cross-slots in the rims thereof, and a fly-brake provided with a pivot supported in said cross-slots, substantially as described.

4. In a repeating-watch, a regulator for the speed of the striking mechanism, comprising two oppositely-disposed plates, pivoted together and having cross-slots in the rims thereof, a fly-brake provided with a pivot supported in said cross-slots, and an adjustingscrew to hold the pivot-supporting plates in proper position to regulate the fly-brake, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL HAHLVVEG.

Witnesses:

F. W. KICKBUSCH, J r., LENA KroKBUsoH. 

